Mariners Fans Brave Snow for Tickets

Published 8:00 pm, Friday, January 25, 2002

They came dressed in the warmest of winter attire, hands in gloves wrapped tightly around cups of cocoa from a nearby coffee shop.

The season's first real snowstorm couldn't keep Mariners fans from waiting hours to secure 2002 tickets when they went on sale Saturday at Safeco Field. Many camped out overnight.

"They're wearing Eskimo jackets and night slippers with linings," said Mariners parking attendant Mellita Morgan, who along with Erlinda Sabog directed some 700 cars into the stadium parking garage by midday.

Nine-year-old Danny Thomson's mother would only agree to let him stand in line with his dad if he wore his snowpants.

It was a good thing.

He and his father, David, stood in line for more than four hours for single-game tickets to see the team that tied a major league record with 116 wins last season.

"I think if we knew it would be a four-hour wait, we might've called Ticketmaster," said David Thomson, who wore six layers of clothing. "But a lot of people are depending on us. We're buying for four other friends, but next year I expect them to return the favor."

Snow was falling thickly by late afternoon. Much of it was sticking on the ground _ a rare sight in the mostly rainy Seattle winter.

Some fans cheered as they approached the ticket window. Finally, it was their turn and lunch was on the horizon.

Fans snapped up about 100,000 single-game tickets on Saturday, compared to 52,000 in the first two days of sales last year, team spokesman Randy Adamack said.

"It was pretty amazing to see people lined up all day long with the snow falling buying baseball tickets," he said.

The team also has sold more than 21,000 season tickets at 47,116-seat Safeco Field.

Angie Johnson waited about four hours with her husband Tom.

"He owes me a big dinner," she said. She took a break in the team store and the coffee shop to warm up.

"He has to be here," Johnson said. "A group of people from his work buy tickets every year. They're for his work buddies."

"So I shouldn't have to do this for another six years," Tom piped in.

Nate Fulton and his wife, Erin made it to only three games during Seattle's record-setting season last year.